Archos GamePad: a 7″ Android tablet with D-pad, analog sticks

Supports game controller APIs built into Ice Cream Sandwich.

Archos has announced a 7" Android tablet targeted directly to hardcore gamers who prefer physical buttons and joysticks over touchscreen controls. Dubbed the "GamePad," the tablet supports game controller APIs built into version 4.x of Android, as well as its own controller "mapping" software that works with games without controller support.

Archos wasn't too specific about the tablet's specs, saying it comes equipped with a 7" capacitive touchscreen, possibly 1280x800 pixels, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The processor does have an integrated Mali-400MP quad-core GPU, though, which should offer respectable 3D gaming performance. (Too bad Archos didn't opt for the much more impressive Mali-T658). The device also includes an integrated D-pad, ABXY buttons, and two analog thumbsticks for gaming action.

Gamers have long lamented the lack of physical controls on touchscreen devices ever since the launch of the iPhone 3G and Apple's iOS App Store in 2008. While companies such as ThinkGeek, Ion, and Gametel have attempted to develop add-ons to address the shortcoming, Archos' GamePad is the first Android tablet purpose-built for gaming.

The GamePad might not have ever happened had it not been for Google's decision to support game controllers natively in the latest versions of Android. "When Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich' was first released, they included game controller support within the frameworks," Henri Crohas, Archos Founder and CEO said in a statement. "And that is when we decided to build the GamePad."

Archos has been working with game developers for the last six months to include native support for Android's controller APIs. However, it has prepared for games that don't support those APIs by building its own software to recognize virtual game controls and automatically map them to the physical controls. Archos said that over 1,000 games available through the Google Play Store are already supported, "including back catalog titles that originally didn’t include physical controls."

The Archos GamePad goes on sale at the end of October for €150, or roughly $200.

48 Reader Comments

All this time, Ouya has been trying to build their own game ecosystem, when I and many others tried to point out that an ecosystem isn't needed, a way to use standard controllers with existing or future games is needed. It sounds like Archos has done that (assuming they did a good job and it doesn't suck.)

In a market where 2 massive game companies with huge mindshare and brand awareness are struggling to sell dedicated handhelds against the onslaught of fun, casual, inexpensive games for smartphones (devices everyone are getting anyway, thus making gaming a very pleasant value-add), Archos plans to launch a dedicated handheld.

I didn't think anyone would create such a myopic product like the Vita for a while. I have been proven wrong!

In a market where 2 massive game companies with huge mindshare and brand awareness are struggling to sell dedicated handhelds against the onslaught of fun, casual, inexpensive games for smartphones (devices everyone are getting anyway, thus making gaming a very pleasant value-add), Archos plans to launch a dedicated handheld.

I didn't think anyone would create such a myopic product like the Vita for a while. I have been proven wrong!

All this time, Ouya has been trying to build their own game ecosystem, when I and many others tried to point out that an ecosystem isn't needed, a way to use standard controllers with existing or future games is needed. It sounds like Archos has done that (assuming they did a good job and it doesn't suck.)

Throw HDMI out on that tablet, and Ouya becomes irrelevant.

It's more expensive than OUYA (because it has the screen built in), so there's still reason to buy the OUYA hardware.

Assuming OUYA uses the standard API, this could actually benefit them because game developers would have more reason to support the game controller API (rather then just touch). There's no reason for "OUYA games" to actually be different from standard Android games. It seems to me that the sensible thing would be for the OUYA store to basically be a third-party Android app store with a focus on games, where all the games are guaranteed to support game controllers, and all have been tested on OUYA hardware. OUYA hardware would just be an affordable system that focuses on the best performance/$, without needing to worry about battery life or screen quality, with the OUYA store as its default app store.

I think it would be nice if you could side load the OUYA store onto non-OUYA devices, such as this, or an Asus Transformer (obviously with no guarantee that the games had been tested on your hardware). If the OUYA controller is just a standard Bluetooth game controller, I don't see why you couldn't use it on any Android device (or other PC, for that matter).

Personally, this makes me happy because I want to see Android turn into a general purpose OS that supports desktops, laptops, netbooks, HTPCs, not just phones and tablets. Anything that expands the perceived roles of the OS is a good thing in my opinion.

In a market where 2 massive game companies with huge mindshare and brand awareness are struggling to sell dedicated handhelds against the onslaught of fun, casual, inexpensive games for smartphones (devices everyone are getting anyway, thus making gaming a very pleasant value-add), Archos plans to launch a dedicated handheld.

I didn't think anyone would create such a myopic product like the Vita for a while. I have been proven wrong!

Seriously though, no one is going to buy this.

Except this is not a dedicated handheld. This is a fully-functional Android tablet with game controls grafted onto the sides. You can do plenty on it besides game, but when you want to game, you have actual controls to do so with.

It's a good idea, IMHO, though I think the design does interfere with standard tablet use cases (something that looks more like the WiiU controller might have been preferable). Also, why would you make a gaming oriented tablet and NOT use a Tegra 3?

Ugh, those aren't analogue sticks, they look very much like the nub abortion the PSP GO uses. If they are, they'll give you thumb cramp within seconds. I'll stick to my Vita, thanks

Yup.

C'mon Forseman, if you play video games at all you really should know the product image does not show an analog stick. This is a huge issue compared to slight differences among GPUs. I'm intrigued by the device, but those "sticks" look horrid.

I think I'll wait for someone to make a drop-in charger/controller for the nexus 7.

Something like (though better than) this? I could have sworn that I saw an actual, honest-to-goodness, professionally designed and made iPhone mount for the PS3 controller earlier in the week. While that wouldn't work out-of-the-box for the Nexus 7 it's also not too hard to build one what would.

$250 for controls that probably aren't nearly as good as the ones on the system manufacturer's controllers, a weaker processor and probably worse screen than the Nexus 7? No thanks. I do realize that Asus and Google aren't really trying to get rich off the 7, but to come out with something that's weaker and with only an extra hardware feature that's not really necessary and will get in the way when your trying to use the system the rest of the time? Not for me.

I do realize that Asus and Google aren't really trying to get rich off the 7, but to come out with something that's weaker and with only an extra hardware feature that's not really necessary and will get in the way when your trying to use the system the rest of the time? Not for me.

Dedicated buttons and a D-pad aren't really necessary for gaming? Seriously? Comments like this usually come from people who've never played video games in their life but have become gaming experts since Angry Birds was released on the iPhone.

Would have loved this but just bought a Gameklip to use with my Galaxy Note and I'm having a hard time trying to justify spending $250 on a gamble of a product. I think the biggest disadvantage is the non standard controller as using a PS3 controller with my klip basically eliminates any learning curve with getting used to the buttons and layout (A HUGE plus for fighting games). Having said that I hope this product and the Ouya both succeed and give us all a larger variety of games to play while we work and pay back out student loans.

$250 for a gaming tablet? Ouch! Might be good for the hardcore gamers of Androidland, but most of us folks play casual gaming every now and then when we have time to kill. I see this item as a must only for those who can't get enough of gaming and tablet use..

150 euro is about $190 US, nowhere near $250. Which makes it cheaper than a Google Nexus 7 while also having gaming controls. (edit: From reading around, it also has a mini-HDMI port and microsd, which is a boon, especially with the 8GB being a huge limitation on the Nexus 7)

Considering the biggest selling apps on every app store are games, this would make a huge amount of sense for someone who hasn't bought a tablet before. And this is Archos, they're not out to compete with Apple, they've likely factored in sales that aren't 10m a quarter. I can see this being a great move for them, so long as they get some good early reviews.

It's surprising how biased the tech news industry is. Then again, maybe it's not. When Chinese companies like Yinlips and JXD come out with Android tablets with controls, the most they can hope for is a derisive "KIRF" moniker and the scorn of the mainstream gamer community. However, when a Western company does the same it is heralded as the next step in gaming, a feat that has never done before etc etc. Sure the JXD S601 and 5110 are probably not the same quality. I'm looking forward to this tablet as long as Archos remembers the community and keeps their system as open as possible.

150 euro is about $190 US, nowhere near $250. Which makes it cheaper than a Google Nexus 7 while also having gaming controls. (edit: From reading around, it also has a mini-HDMI port and microsd, which is a boon, especially with the 8GB being a huge limitation on the Nexus 7)

Considering the biggest selling apps on every app store are games, this would make a huge amount of sense for someone who hasn't bought a tablet before. And this is Archos, they're not out to compete with Apple, they've likely factored in sales that aren't 10m a quarter. I can see this being a great move for them, so long as they get some good early reviews.

Oh how I wish my Vita had an actual STANDARD storage format like microSD. I got my 8GB proprietary card free thanks to Amazon's pre-order offer (in the UK, no idea if they did the same in the US) so at least there was that, but those things are still stupidly expensive for what they are.

Sony really needs to start looking long and hard at how it treats its customers (ie, like they're all dirty filthy potential pirates) before they lose too much more goodwill. I certainly didn't buy my Vita because I wanted to give Sony money, it was essentially bought because I couldn't live with the idea of not playing P4 The Golden. The free memcard influenced the decision a fair bit too though, I might have waited a couple of months until the game was released in hopes of getting a cheaper deal if not for that offer.

My only concern with Archos tends to be the very low hardware part quality.

As in, bargain basement parts.

The build's probably very nice and it's pretty solid. but it's obvious after you buy one that the reason they can spend money on the build quality was because they cheaped out on the parts.

Most notably - how many people have bought a device with an LCD screen and gotten dead pixels? Anything - from monitors to iPods, Androids, what have you? That's the #1 thing I notice is most Archos devices I've seen have dead pixels. And not just one, but 4 or 5. Took me several returns just to get it right.

With hardware like that, you wonder where else they may have skimped out on. And yes, while it may have been $250, the devices I bought were $250+ as well, and they had quality issues.

Ok, quality is definitely one aspect of the Vita Sony got absolutely spot on, it's rock solidly well built and just feels overall great. And the screen is just a beauty to behold, puts anything else I've used to shame.

It's surprising how biased the tech news industry is. Then again, maybe it's not. When Chinese companies like Yinlips and JXD come out with Android tablets with controls, the most they can hope for is a derisive "KIRF" moniker and the scorn of the mainstream gamer community. However, when a Western company does the same it is heralded as the next step in gaming, a feat that has never done before etc etc. Sure the JXD S601 and 5110 are probably not the same quality. I'm looking forward to this tablet as long as Archos remembers the community and keeps their system as open as possible.

That's mostly because your odds of getting at least 1 OS update are about 0.5% from the Chinese companies, 15% from Archos, and 30% from popular brands in the US like Asus or Samsung. Further, the out of the box compatibility with software is night and day. Once you figure in the after market ROM community of XDA you can move all of those percentages to a more logarithmic scale. I purposely buy Android devices with a huge XDA following just so there is some support.

All of the small shop Chinese companies could make their lives incredibly easy if they handed out the full stock source code for their device and kernel drivers. Just about any Android tablet or handset maker could make a killing if they included a DVD, flash drive, or download location with their product for a full development environment VM that already had their resources synced and could connect to Google for SDK updates. Further, it would lower the bar to people developing their own apps.

It's a good idea, IMHO, though I think the design does interfere with standard tablet use cases (something that looks more like the WiiU controller might have been preferable). Also, why would you make a gaming oriented tablet and NOT use a Tegra 3?

Because the Tegra GPU is awful? A quad core Mali-400 like this has will outperform any Tegra 3.

But talk about your trade dress infringement. If Apple can claim ownership of rectangles, surely Sony can sue over something shaped exactly like a Vita.

I'm looking forward to this tablet as long as Archos remembers the community and keeps their system as open as possible.

That is one area where Archos has had a interesting approach in the past. When a device generation nears or enters EOL, they a special firmware available that enables embedded Linux development on those devices. Sure, installing said firmware voids warranty on the device. But if you have had it since launch it is likely out of warranty anyways.

They also make sure to have detailed update reports on their firmware updates.

Most notably - how many people have bought a device with an LCD screen and gotten dead pixels? Anything - from monitors to iPods, Androids, what have you? That's the #1 thing I notice is most Archos devices I've seen have dead pixels. And not just one, but 4 or 5. Took me several returns just to get it right.

Maybe i am lucky, but my recently bought Archos 80 shows no dead pixels that i can find.

Most notably - how many people have bought a device with an LCD screen and gotten dead pixels? Anything - from monitors to iPods, Androids, what have you? That's the #1 thing I notice is most Archos devices I've seen have dead pixels. And not just one, but 4 or 5. Took me several returns just to get it right.

Maybe i am lucky, but my recently bought Archos 80 shows no dead pixels that i can find.

I have never noticed one dead pixel in any phone since my old HTC Diamond. You must be hexed hobgoblin (would play with the name).

I've owned Archos products that worked fine and this one looks good. I'm not going to buy a tablet without a stylus though.

I do realize that Asus and Google aren't really trying to get rich off the 7, but to come out with something that's weaker and with only an extra hardware feature that's not really necessary and will get in the way when your trying to use the system the rest of the time? Not for me.

Dedicated buttons and a D-pad aren't really necessary for gaming? Seriously? Comments like this usually come from people who've never played video games in their life but have become gaming experts since Angry Birds was released on the iPhone.

I think he meant "not necessary when you can use a PS3 gamepad instead and possibly attach the two together", rather than completely unnecessary.

robrob wrote:

150 euro is about $190 US, nowhere near $250. Which makes it cheaper than a Google Nexus 7 while also having gaming controls. (edit: From reading around, it also has a mini-HDMI port and microsd, which is a boon, especially with the 8GB being a huge limitation on the Nexus 7)

Is the 8GB really a huge limitation if you buy the 16GB version instead...? Plus you can read (media) files from a USB OTG-connected thumb drive with the appropriate app without root now so unless you need more than 16GB of non-media storage then the limit is fairly moot.

All this time, Ouya has been trying to build their own game ecosystem, when I and many others tried to point out that an ecosystem isn't needed, a way to use standard controllers with existing or future games is needed. It sounds like Archos has done that (assuming they did a good job and it doesn't suck.)

Throw HDMI out on that tablet, and Ouya becomes irrelevant.

Platforms having a handheld device negates any point to having console devices? Should maybe let Sony and Nintendo know about that

Give me a few high-quality FPSes and I'll take one. Hardware looks cool but, like with any system, it's gonna be all about the games, and it needs games suited to regular controllers as opposed to touch.

I like that it is shown having an actual left and right speaker while in landscape orientation. When you turn the Kindle Fire or Galaxy Tab sideways to play games all the sound comes from one side, which I find annoying.

In a market where 2 massive game companies with huge mindshare and brand awareness are struggling to sell dedicated handhelds against the onslaught of fun, casual, inexpensive games for smartphones (devices everyone are getting anyway, thus making gaming a very pleasant value-add), Archos plans to launch a dedicated handheld.

I didn't think anyone would create such a myopic product like the Vita for a while. I have been proven wrong!

Seriously though, no one is going to buy this.

Except this is not a dedicated handheld. This is a fully-functional Android tablet with game controls grafted onto the sides. You can do plenty on it besides game, but when you want to game, you have actual controls to do so with.

It's a good idea, IMHO, though I think the design does interfere with standard tablet use cases (something that looks more like the WiiU controller might have been preferable). Also, why would you make a gaming oriented tablet and NOT use a Tegra 3?

Well, no, it really isn't a good idea. It's a laughably myopic device that makes no sense, and will fail in the market.

The revolution happened, touch-based games have been figured out with virtual analog sticks and gesture based controls. Are there games which suffer for this? Absolutely. The problem is for Archos (and Sony with their goofy Xperia Play) is that mass market customers don't give a shit. They don't care about having dedicated gaming controls, as they see gaming as a bonus value-add to the smartphones they were already going to buy anyway. The people who don't want a smartphone just buy better dedicated hardware from Nintendo or Sony (a smaller number of people, hence those devices far diminished sales compared to a few years ago), or they'll buy an iPod touch.

Another point: why would anyone want a general purpose tablet with dedicated gaming controls? When has that ever worked? It's a lousy design choice because when you're not playing games, those controls are just in the way. You'd think the failures of the Ngage and the Xperia Play would have taught Archos how silly that idea is, but I guess not.

I can't say this emphatically enough: mainstream users don't give a shit about these things. They didn't care about dedicated gaming controls in previous smartphones, they don't care about the iCade, and they won't care about this. It's a goofy idea that will fail miserably.

I can't say this emphatically enough: mainstream users don't give a shit about these things. They didn't care about dedicated gaming controls in previous smartphones, they don't care about the iCade, and they won't care about this. It's a goofy idea that will fail miserably.

Are they going to sell more of these than Apple sells iPads, Google sells Nexus7s, or Asus sells Transformers. No. Right there the mainstream market is pretty locked down.

They've done something smart for a lower-profile company. Make a product that appeals to a niche market. If this gets decent reviews, I probably will be buying one. Skipped the experia play, because I didn't want the bulk in my day to day phone. Almost bought the Fire, but wanted to see what was coming "in a few months" and here we are.

So I'll be getting some tablet within the year, and right now it's either a Nexus7 or this. It's Archos' niche to lose.

The issue I see with this is that it LOOKS like a gaming device. I would bet that for a lot of people, part of the appeal of casual touch screen gaming is that you can carry around a device that looks like it was made for work, then pull up a game quickly when you're on the subway or in a waiting room. Unfortunately, a device bristling with joysticks and buttons is bulky and also singles you out as a gamer first and foremost, which still carries a stigma. It's definitely not something you'd feel comfortable pulling out in a meeting or jotting down notes on with a client. So you get a device with limited functionality as an actual tablet, what looks to be fairly uncomfortable controls, and a less-than-amazing selection of games dominated by casual time-wasters. I think I'll pass for now.